Stud securing system

ABSTRACT

A stud securing apparatus includes a rail and a plurality of stud securing legs extending from the rail. A method of framing a wall using the stud securing apparatus is also disclosed.

This application claims the benefit of application Ser. No. 60/581,495 filed Jun. 21, 2004, which is incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Many buildings are constructed each year and because of the high cost of labor and materials, every labor saving step or simplification in the construction process can result in savings.

A modern building typically includes a load bearing structure and a non-load bearing structure. The load bearing structure supports the floors and roof of the building and the non-load bearing structure can support walls, known as curtain walls. The load bearing structure is made up of an arrangement of horizontal and vertical beams that are secured together. The non-load bearing structure must be linked to the load bearing structure to hold the walls in a vertical position, and the load bearing structure should not transfer any weight to the non-load bearing structure.

Wall clips are used to secure the non-load bearing wall framing members, which for the sake of brevity will be referred to as studs, to the roof support structure and floor support structure, which for the sake of brevity will be referred to as roof and floor. A known wall clip has a general L-shape having an elongated slot formed in one leg and the other leg is solid or has small openings therethrough. The solid leg, or the leg with the small openings, is attached, usually via an explosive fastener, to a horizontal metal support angle that extends along the edge of the roof or some floors for a multi-story building. The leg of the clip with the elongated slot attaches to the metal stud.

Use of the known wall clip requires a construction worker to measure along the horizontal metal support angle to locate the wall clip, which are typically placed at 16″ center-to-center spacing, and attach the wall clip to the support angle. Attachment of these clips to the metal support angle is timely and expensive. Furthermore, if the metal support angle is located high above the ground or floor, safety can be a concern. Typically three explosive fasteners are required to attach the clip to the horizontal metal support angle, and these fasteners are relatively expensive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a stud securing apparatus that includes a clip and a rail.

FIG. 2 is an end view of a stud securing apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged portion of a rail of the stud securing apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view of the rail of the stud securing apparatus of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an end view of the rail of the stud securing apparatus of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an end view of an alternative embodiment of a rail.

FIG. 7 is an end view of another alternative embodiment of a rail.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a clip of the stud securing apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the clip of the stud securing apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of an alternative embodiment of a stud securing apparatus.

FIG. 11 is a rear view of an alternative embodiment of a rail of stud securing apparatus.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a portion of another alternative embodiment of a stud securing apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A stud securing apparatus includes a rail, a first stud securing leg, and a second stud securing leg. The rail includes a first surface, a second surface, and a mounting member extending generally away from the second surface. The mounting member is configured to facilitate hanging the rail from an associated support member. The first stud securing leg extends generally away from the first surface of the rail. The first stud securing leg is configured to connect to an associated stud. The second stud securing leg extends generally away from the first surface of the rail. The second stud securing leg is configured to connect to an associated stud.

A method of framing a wall includes the following steps: hanging a rail of a stud securing apparatus on a roof support or on a floor support and fastening the rail to the roof support or the floor support. The stud securing apparatus includes a plurality of stud securing legs extending from the rail. The method further includes attaching a stud to at least one of the stud securing legs.

A stud securing device includes a rail including a base wall and a plurality of clips attached to the rail. The base wall includes first and second surfaces and a channel defined at least in part by the second surface. Each clip includes a stud securing leg extending away from the first surface of the base wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, a stud securing apparatus 10 generally includes a rail 12 and a plurality of clips 14 (only one shown in FIG. 1) affixed to the rail. The components of the assembly can be manufactured from galvanized steel, preferably 14 or 16 gage; however, other gages and other durable materials can also be used. The stud securing apparatus is used to connect vertical support members, e.g. studs A (depicted in phantom in FIG. 2), to a horizontal support members, e.g. a floor or roof support B (depicted in phantom in FIG. 2). Throughout the description directional terms such as “vertical,” “horizontal,” “rearward,” and the like will be used. These terms are for the benefit of the reader of this document in the understanding of the depicted embodiments. These terms are not meant to limit the invention to any particular orientation.

Referring to the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-5, the rail 12 includes a first or base wall 16 and an integrally formed mounting member 18 extending rearward from the base wall. The rail 12 can be formed from one piece of sheet metal that is stamped or formed into a desired configuration. The mounting member 18 can take a number of different configurations to facilitate attachment of the rail 12 to the horizontal support B (FIG. 2).

In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-4, the rail 12 includes a mounting member 18 that has an upside down L-shaped configuration when viewed from an end, as more easily seen in FIGS. 2 and 5. In this embodiment, the mounting member 18 comprises a flange having a first flange wall 24 that extends generally perpendicularly from an upper edge of the base wall 16 and a second flange wall 26 that extends generally perpendicularly from a distal edge of the first wall 24 and generally parallel to the base wall 16. The second flange wall 26 is spaced from the base wall 16 such that the rail 12 can rest on an existing 4″×4″ metal support angle, which is typically what is used as the horizontal support B, so that the assembly can be mounted as one unit. The second wall 26 can be spaced from the base wall 16 to accommodate other support members of different sizes and configurations. The base wall 16, the first flange wall 24 and the second flange wall 26 define a channel 30 that receives an upwardly extending portion of the horizontal support B.

With reference to FIG. 4, the base wall 16 includes a plurality of vertically oriented slots 28 that are spaced along the base wall and are parallel with one another. Each slot 28 receives a clip 14 (FIG. 1); therefore, the slots 28 have a vertical height that allows each slot to receive a corresponding clip 14. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-5, the slots 28 terminate at a lower end above a lower edge 32 of the rail 12 and terminate at an upper end below the first flange wall 24 of the mounting member 18. In an alternative embodiment, the slots can extend to the lower edge 32 or to, or through, the first flange wall 24. In the depicted embodiment, a portion of each slot 28 resides in an area of the base wall 16 that is covered by the second flange wall 26 when the rail 12 is viewed in a rear plan view, as seen in FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the second flange wall 26 is spaced from the base wall 16 so that the clip 14 can be inserted into the slot 28 after the mounting member 18 has been formed. Alternatively, the slot 28 and/or the mounting member 18 can be reconfigured so that no portion of the mounting member resides over the slot.

In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-5, the rail 12 measures eight feet in length and the slots 28 are spaced 16 inches (center-to-center) from one another. The slots 28 at each end of the rail 12 are spaced eight inches inward from the respective ends of the rail 12. Accordingly, when two rails 12 are abutted end to end with one another, the slots are spaced 16 inches from one another. The rail measures four and one-quarter inches in height and each slot measures 3.29 inches in height and 0.078 inches in width. The first flange wall 24 measures 0.494 inches from the base wall 16 and the second flange wall 26 measures 0.625 inches from the first flange wall.

The rail can take other configurations. For example, as seen in FIG. 6 a rail 12′ is shown having a base wall 16′ similar to that shown in FIGS. 1-5. The base wall 16′ can include slots, similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5. The mounting member 18′, which can also be referred to as a flange, in this configuration is formed to have an upside down V-shaped configuration to define a channel 30′. Accordingly, an apex is formed at the intersection of a first flange wall 24′ and a second flange wall 26′. A portion of a horizontal support member, e.g. vertically extending portion of member B in FIG. 2, can reside in the channel 30′ of the mounting member 18′ and the apex provides a self-locating feature for the rail 12′.

Another example of a rail 12″ is shown in FIG. 7. The rail 12″ includes a base wall 16″ that can include slots, similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5, and a mounting member 18″, which can also be referred to as a flange. The mounting member 18″ in this configuration, however, is formed to have an upside down U-shaped configuration to define a channel 30″.

With reference back to FIG. 1, the clip 14 attaches to the rail 12. The clip 14 is generally L-shaped including a first, or rail attaching, leg 42 and a second, or stud securing, leg 44 that extends generally perpendicular to the first leg. The clip 14 can be formed or stamped from a single piece of metal. The first leg 42 is generally planar to provide a contact surface to attach, via for example spot welds 46 or other conventional fastening methods, to a generally planar back surface 48 of the base wall 16 of the rail 12. The second wall 44 includes vertically elongated slots 52 that can receive fasteners C (shown in phantom in FIG. 2) to attach a metal stud A to the clip 14. The slots 52 can take other configurations, including round, square, and other polygonal configurations. The slots 52 allow for vertical movement of the clip 14 in relation to the metal stud A.

The second leg 44 of the clip 14 extends generally perpendicularly from a front planar surface 54 of the rail 12 in a direction that is generally opposite the direction that the mounting member 18 extends from the rail 12. To secure the clip 14 to the rail 12, the second leg 44 of the clip 14 is inserted through the vertical slot 28 of the rail 12 so that a front planar surface 56 (FIG. 8) of the first leg 42 of the clip 14 is placed in contact with the rear surface 48 of the rail 12. The first leg 42 is then spot welded to the base wall 16 of the rail; however, attachment between the two can be accomplished in other known manners.

To frame a wall, the stud securing device 10 is hung from the horizontal support member B such that the upwardly extending portion of the horizontal support member B is received in the channel 30, which is defined in part by the rear surface 48 of the base wall 16 of the rail 12. The rail 12 is then leveled, which plumbs the stud securing legs 44 of the clips 14. The rail 12 is then fastened to the horizontal support member B via fasteners that can include explosive fasteners. The studs A are then secured to the stud securing legs 44 of the clips 14 using fasteners C, which can include bolts and nuts, and the like.

Providing a plurality of clips 14, or simply a plurality of stud securing legs 44, on a rail 12 quickens the installation of the stud securing members during the construction of a building. Instead of individually attaching a plurality of stud securing clips to a horizontal support member, e.g. support B, the rail 12 having the plurality of clips 14 attached to it can be attached to the horizontal support member. The stud securing apparatus 10 therefore greatly reduces installation time. Furthermore, the rail 12 can be leveled on the horizontal support member B, which sometimes may not be level or straight. Since the stud securing legs 44 are formed in a factory, the tolerances with regard to their alignment can typically be much greater than at a construction site. Accordingly, leveling the rail 12 on the horizontal support member B can typically result in the stud securing legs 44 of the clips being plumb. Also, the rail 12 can carry some of the load by the clip 14, or the stud securing leg 44, transferring some of the load to the rail.

With reference to FIG. 10, yet another embodiment of a stud securing apparatus 110 is shown. In this embodiment, the apparatus 110 includes a rail 112 having a mounting member 118, similar to the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1-5. The mounting member 118 can take other configurations, for example the configurations depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7. A stud securing leg 144 extends generally away from a front surface 154 of the rail 112 in a direction that is generally opposite than the direction that the mounting member 118 extends from the rail. In this embodiment, the stud securing leg 144 is punched out of the rail 112 to form an opening 150 and the leg 144 is bent forward so that it is generally perpendicular to the front surface 154 of the rail. The stud securing leg 144 is similar to the stud securing leg 44 in the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-5, in that it includes vertically elongated slots 152.

With reference to FIG. 11, another embodiment of a rail 12′″ is shown. In this embodiment, the rail 12′″ includes a mounting member 18′″ that is interrupted by a plurality of gaps 22. Slots 28′″ align with the gaps 22, as seen in FIG. 11, to facilitate attaching a clip 14 (FIGS. 1, 2, 8 and 9) to the rail 12′″. The slots 28 are offset the center of the gap 22 to facilitate the rail attaching leg 42 of the clip 14.

With reference to FIG. 12, yet another embodiment of a stud securing apparatus 210 is shown. In this embodiment, the apparatus 210 includes a rail 212 having a mounting member 218, similar to the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1-5. The mounting member 218 can take other configurations, for example the configurations depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7. In this embodiment, a clip 214 attaches to a front surface 254 of a base wall 216 of the rail 212. In this embodiment, a rail attaching leg 242 of the clip 214 can attach to the rail 212 via welds 246, or other conventional fastening methods including fasteners. A stud securing leg 244 of the clip 214 includes elongated slots 252 and extends away from the front surface 254. The clip 214 includes coining, or corrugations 250, that are disposed generally perpendicular to the elongated slots 252. Also, the coining can be incorporated into the clip 14 if desirable. The corrugations can provide increased rigidity to the clip 214.

A stud securing assembly has been described with reference to various embodiments. Various modifications and alterations can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, components and features from one embodiment can be incorporated in the other embodiments. 

1. A stud securing apparatus comprising a rail including a first surface, a second surface, and a mounting member extending generally away from the second surface, the mounting member being configured to facilitate hanging the rail from an associated support member; a first stud securing leg extending generally away from the first surface of the rail, the first stud securing leg being configured to connect to an associated stud; and a second stud securing leg extending generally away from the first surface of the rail, the second stud securing leg being configured to connect to an associated stud.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each stud securing leg is integrally formed with the rail.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first rail attaching leg extending from the first stud securing leg, and a second rail attaching leg extending from the second stud securing leg.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the rail includes a first slot and a second slot, the first stud securing leg extending through the first slot and a second stud securing leg extending through the second slot.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first rail attaching leg and the second rail attaching leg attach to the rail and contact the second surface of the rail.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mounting member comprises a flange including a portion that extends normally from the second surface of the rail.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mounting member has a general upside down V-shape, upside down U-shape, or upside down L-shape when viewed from an end of the rail.
 8. A method of framing a wall, the method comprising: hanging a rail of a stud securing apparatus on a roof support or on a floor support, the stud securing apparatus including a plurality of stud securing legs extending from the rail; fastening the rail to the roof support or to the floor support; and attaching a stud to at least one of the stud securing legs.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the hanging step comprises placing a flange of the rail over an upwardly extending portion of the roof support or of the floor support.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the fastening step comprises fastening the rail to the roof support or to the floor support using an explosive fastener.
 11. The method of claim 8, further comprising leveling the rail to plumb the stud securing legs.
 12. A stud securing device comprising: a rail including a base wall having first and second surfaces, the rail including a channel defined at least in part by the second surface; and a plurality of clips attached to the rail, each clip having a stud securing leg extending away from the first surface of the base wall.
 13. The device of claim 12, wherein the rail includes a flange formed integrally with the base wall, the flange further defining a substantially upside down L-shape, V-shape or U-shape.
 14. The device of claim 12, wherein each clip comprises a rail attaching leg formed at an angle to the stud securing leg, the rail attaching leg contacting the second surface of the rail.
 15. The device of claim 14, wherein the base wall includes a plurality of slots, each slot receiving the stud securing leg of one of the plurality of clips.
 16. The device of claim 15, wherein at least two adjacent slots are spaced about 16 inches apart from one another.
 17. The device of claim 15, wherein at least one of the plurality of slots is spaced about eight inches from an end of the rail.
 18. The device of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of slots terminates spaced from a lower edge of the rail.
 19. The device of claim 12, wherein at least one of the plurality of clips includes a corrugation.
 20. The device of claim 19, wherein the at least one clip includes an elongated slot generally perpendicular to the corrugation. 